Miniature rose plant named ‘WEKcofbunk’

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Miniature rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of twinkling brilliant orange coloration.

Classification: The present invention relates to a new Rosa hybridaplant.

Variety denomination: The new plant has the varietal denomination‘WEKcofbunk’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Miniature Rose.It has as its seed parent the variety known as ‘WEKdoudou’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 20,345) and an unknown pollen parent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from otherpresently available and commercial rose cultivars known to the inventorare the following combinations of characteristics: its unusual twinklingbrilliant orange coloration, its excellent color stability throughoutthe life of the flower and its bushy upright tall growing habit for theclass. The plant has a bushy upright growing habit, suitable for outdoorgarden decoration.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by budding as performed in KernCounty and Pomona, Calif., shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘WEKcofbunk’ may beasexually propagated by cuttings, budding and grafting. The budding andgrafting successfully occurred on the plant/rootstock Rosa hybrida cv.Dr. Huey (not patented).

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, ‘WEKdoudou’ bythe following combination of characteristics: whereas ‘WEKcofbunk’ bearssemi-double flowers (about 12 to 17 petals) of twinkling brilliantorange coloration, ‘WEKdoudou’ bears semi-double flowers of smokychocolate orange with a rust reverse coloration with significantlylesser petalage (about 5 to 10 petals). The new variety has a bushyupright tall growing habit (about 90 to about 110 cm. in height),whereas the seed parent has a bushy compact rounded significantlyshorter growing habit (about 42 to about 52 cm. in height).

The pollen parent is unknown.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The new variety may be distinguished from its closest commerciallyavailable cultivar, ‘POUltop’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,048) by thefollowing combination of characteristics: whereas ‘WEKcofbunk’ bearssomewhat large (about 5.4 to about 6.9 cm. in diameter) semi-doubleflowers (about 12 to 17 petals), ‘POUltop’ bears smaller flowers(ranging from 4 to 6 cm. in diameter) with significantly heavierpetalage (18 to 22 petals). The new variety has a bushy upright tallgrowing habit (about 90 to about 110 cm. in height), whereas the closestcommercially available cultivar has a dwarf, bushy, compact,significantly shorter growing habit (about 40 to 60 cm. in height).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the new variety and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in a color illustration of thecharacter. The following photograph illustrates a 3 to 4 year-old roseplant of the new variety grown outdoors in Wasco, Calif. in the month ofOctober. Throughout this specification, color references and/or valuesare based upon the Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society(1966) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is of 3 to 4 year-old rose plants of the newvariety grown outdoors in Wasco, Calif. in the month of October.Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climaticconditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

The new variety sometimes bears its flowers singly, sometimes inclusters of two to four per stem. Flowers may be borne in regularrounded clusters on strong short to medium length stems (about 11 toabout 34 cm.). Outdoors, the plant blooms abundantly and nearlycontinuously during the growing season. The flowers have a very slighttea fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is about 1.9 to about 5.5 cm. in length, of average tosomewhat heavy caliper (about 0.2 to about 0.3 cm. in diameter), andusually erect. It is moderately rough, with many stipitate glands.Peduncle color is between 146B and 146A often heavily suffused,especially on the side exposed to the sun, with between 187B and 183B.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is about 1.0 to about 1.3 cm. indiameter at the widest point, about 1.2 to about 1.7 cm. in length, andpointed to somewhat ovoid in shape with a conspicuous neck. The surfaceof the bud bears between 13 to 15 foliaceous appendages and manystipitate glands, usually with slender entire foliaceous parts extendingbeyond the tip of the bud about ½ or more of its length. Bud color isbetween 146A and 146B often heavily suffused, especially on the sideexposed to the sun, with between 187B and 183A.

The sepals are about 1.8 to about 3.0 cm. in length and about 0.6 toabout 0.9 cm. in width at the widest point. The outer surface color ofthe sepal is between 146A and 146B often heavily suffused, especially onthe side exposed to the sun, with between 187B and 183A. The outersurface texture of the sepal is moderately rough with many stipitateglands. The inner surface color of the sepal is near 146B broadlybordered by near 139A. After the sepals open, the inner surface color isoften heavily suffused, especially on the area exposed to the sun, withbetween 187A and 187B. The inner surface of the sepal is covered withfine wooly tomentum; sepal margins are lined with few stipitate glandsand hairs.

The receptacle of the flower is of moderately long length (about 0.4 toabout 0.8 cm.) and of somewhat heavy caliper (about 0.5 to about 0.8 cm.in diameter). The receptacle is urn-shaped to somewhat globular in form.Its surface is very smooth with very few hairs and with somewhat thickfleshy walls. The receptacle color is between 144B and 146B oftenmoderately suffused, especially on the area exposed to the sun, withbetween 187B and 183B.

As the petals open (after the calyx breaks), the bud is about 1.2 toabout 1.6 cm. in diameter at the widest point, about 1.6 to about 2.3cm. in length, and moderately ovoid to somewhat pointed in form. Thecolor of the under surfaces of the newly opened petals is between 46Band 33A. At the point where the petal attaches, there is a small zone ofbetween 3C and 4B. The color of the upper surfaces of the newly openedpetals is between 44B and 33A sometimes lightly blushed on the petaledge with between 187B and 187A. At the point where the petal attaches,there is a moderately small zone of between 5A and 6A.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom ranges from about 5.4 to about 6.9 cm. indiameter. Petalage is semi-double with about 12 to 17 petals and about 6to 11 petaloids irregularly arranged. When partially open, the bloomform is moderately ovoid to somewhat cupped, and the petals are looselyspiraled to cupped with petal edges somewhat reflexed outward. Whenfully open, the bloom form is cupped and the petals are loosely cuppedwith petal edges moderately reflexed outward.

PETALS

The substance of the petals is moderately heavy and of somewhat thickthickness, with upper surfaces moderately satiny and under surfacesslightly shiny to matte. The petals are about 2.5 to about 3.2 cm. inlength and about 1.8 to about 3.7 cm. in width at the widest point.Petal margins are entire.

The outer petals are moderately obovate to somewhat rounded in shapewith rounded apices.

The inner petals are moderately obovate in shape with rounded apices.

Petaloids are about 0.9 to about 3.1 cm. in length and about 0.5 toabout 1.8 cm. in width at the widest point. Petaloids are irregularlyshaped moderately oblanceolate to somewhat subulate with rounded apices.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The under surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween 44C and 25A. At the point where the petal attaches, there is asmall zone of between 3C and 4B. The upper surface color of the outer,intermediate and inner petals is between 33A and 25A sometimes lightlyblushed on the petal edge with between 187B and 187A. At the point wherethe petal attaches, there is a moderately small zone of between 5A and6A.

The under and upper surface colors of the petaloids are similar incoloration to the upper and under surfaces of the intermediate and innerpetals.

The general tonality of the newly opened flower is between 33A and 25Asometimes lightly blushed on the petal edge with between 187B and 187A.

THREE-DAY-OLD FLOWER

The under surface color of the outer petals is between 44C and 28A. Atthe point where the petal attaches, there is a small zone of between 3Cand 4B. The upper surface color of the outer petals is between 41B and28A sometimes lightly blushed on the petal edge with between 60B and59B. At the point where the petal attaches, there is a moderately smallzone of between 7C and 6C.

The under surface color of the intermediate and inner petals is between44C and 28A. The upper surface color of the intermediate and innerpetals is between 43B and 28A sometimes lightly blushed on the petaledge with between 60B and 59B.

The under and upper surface colors of the petaloids are similar incoloration to the upper and under surfaces of the intermediate and innerpetals.

The general tonality of the three-day-old flower is between 43B and 28Asometimes lightly blushed on the petal edge with between 60B and 59B.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly.

In October in Wasco, Calif., blooms on the bush growing outdoorsgenerally last about four to five days. Cut roses from plants grownoutdoors and kept at normal indoor living temperatures generally lastabout four to five days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are many in number (average about 135) and are arrangedregularly about the pistils; a few are mixed with petaloids. Thefilaments are of somewhat short to medium length (about 0.4 to about 0.8cm.) most with anthers. Filaments are between 12A and 13B in color oftenmoderately suffused with between 53B and 53A. The anthers are of mediumsize for the class and all open approximately at the same time. Anthercolor when immature is near 22A on the external part and near 20C on theinternal part. Anther color at maturity is near 165B on the externalpart and near 200A on the internal part. Pollen is abundant and between18B and 13D in color.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils vary in number (average about 85). The styles are somewhatuneven, average in length (about 0.4 to about 0.7 cm.), moderately thinin caliper, and loosely bunched to somewhat separated. Stigma color isbetween 18A and 20B. Style color is between 154D and 1D usually heavilysuffused with between 187B and 59B. Ovaries are usually all enclosed inthe calyx.

Hips are of average length (about 1.4 to about 1.9 cm.), globular inform and between 28B and 30B in color when ripe. The hip surface issmooth with very few stipitate glands and with moderately thick fleshywalls. The sepals are fugacious and usually straight in shape.

The seeds are irregularly rounded, smooth in texture, approximately 13to about 23 per hip, about 0.3 to about 0.4 cm. in diameter at thewidest point and between 161B and 163D in color.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to seven leaflets andare borne very abundantly. The five-leaflet leaves are about 5.8 toabout 10.0 cm. in length and about 4.4 to about 6.9 cm. in width at thewidest point, moderately leathery to somewhat crisp in texture, andglossy in finish on the upper side and slightly shiny in finish on theunder side. The terminal leaflets are about 2.5 to about 4.2 cm. inlength and about 1.6 to about 2.6 cm. in width at the widest point,shaped oval to somewhat ovate with acute apices and rounded to somewhatacute bases. Their margins are usually simply serrate. The venationpattern type is pinnate. The venation coloration of the upper surface issimilar to the upper surface color of the mature leaf. The venationcoloration of the lower surface is similar to the lower surface color ofthe mature leaf.

The upper surface color of the mature leaf is between 139A and 137A. Theunder surface color of the mature leaf is between 147B and 148A. Theupper surface color of the young leaf is between 147A and 137A, oftenheavily suffused with between 187A and 187B. The under surface color ofthe young leaf is between 146B and 147B, often heavily suffused withbetween 187A and 187B.

The rachis is moderately light in caliper and rough. The upper side isdeeply grooved with few stipitate glands on the edges of the grooves.The under side of the rachis is rough with few stipitate glands and fewsmall prickles. The rachis color is near 146D on the under side and near137B on the upper side often moderately suffused on the young leaf withbetween 187A and 187B.

The stipules are about 0.9 to about 1.3 cm. in length and moderatelywide (about 0.4 to about 0.6 cm.) with medium length straight pointsthat usually turn out at an angle of more than 45 degrees. The under andupper surface color of the stipule is between 137A and 137B.

The petiole is moderately light in caliper and rough. The upper side isdeeply grooved with few stipitate glands on the edges of the grooves.The under side of the petiole is rough with few stipitate glands and fewsmall prickles. The petiole is about 0.6 to about 1.0 cm. in length andabout 0.1 to about 0.15 cm in width at the widest point. The petiolecolor is near 146D on the under side and near 137B on the upper sideoften moderately suffused on the young leaf with between 187A and 187B.

The plant displays an above average degree of resistance to powderymildew and rust as compared to other commercial varieties grown undercomparable conditions in Wasco, Calif. The plant's winter hardiness anddrought/heat tolerance are yet to be determined.

GROWTH

The plant has a bushy upright tall growing habit (about 90 to about 110cm. in height and about 70 to about 85 cm. spread at the widest point),with very full branching. It displays vigorous growth and the canes areof somewhat heavy caliper for the class (about 1.0 to about 1.4 cm. indiameter at the widest point).

The color of the major stems is between 146A and 146B. They bear manylarge prickles that are about 0.7 to about 1.2 cm. in length. The largeprickles are angled moderately downward with a long somewhat broad ovalbase; prickle color is between 165B and 164A often lightly suffused withnear 201D. The major stem bears few small prickles of similar shape andcoloration.

The color of the branches is between 146A and 137B. They bear some largeprickles which are of similar shape to the large prickles on the majorstems. The large prickles are about 0.5 to about 0.7 cm. in length.Prickle color is near 160A. The branches bear few small prickles ofsimilar shape and coloration.

The color of the new shoots is between 144A and 146B sometimes lightlysuffused with between 183A and 187B. They bear some large prickles whichare of similar size and shape to the large prickles on the branches;prickle color is near 152D usually heavily suffused with near 187C. Theshoots bear few small prickles of similar shape and coloration.

1. A new and distinct Miniature rose plant of the variety substantiallyas described and illustrated herein.